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Sardai
سردائی (sardai): a cooling Lahori summer drink of ground almonds, melon seeds, fennel and poppy seeds in milk
Old Lahoris remember the sardai-wala in the lanes of the Walled City, sitting cross-legged with a huge stone mortar and a wooden pestle, grinding soaked almonds, melon seeds, fennel, poppy seeds and black pepper into a pale paste and whisking it into chilled sweet milk. It is creamy, nutty and floral, with the gentle aniseed cool of fennel and a little warmth from pepper, and it was drunk through the hot months as protection against heat. Today it is easier to make with a blender, but the principle is the same: soak, grind fine, strain, chill. Many people forget to soak the seeds long enough, and the drink ends up gritty with a chalky aftertaste. Chef's tip: soak everything for at least 2 hours, or overnight, and strain through a muslin cloth, squeezing hard, so the sardai is silky and full of flavour.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the paste
- 1 ¾ oz almonds
- 2 tbsp melon seeds (char magaz)
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds
- 1 tbsp white poppy seeds
- 5 green cardamom podsseeds only
- 1 tbsp dried rose petals (edible) (optional)
- ¾ cup water
For the drink
- 3 cups whole milk
- 2 ½ oz sugar
- 1 tsp rose water
- 12 ice cubes
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Put 1 ¾ oz almonds, 2 tbsp melon seeds (char magaz), 1 tbsp fennel seeds, 1 tbsp white poppy seeds, 8 black peppercorns, 5 green cardamom pods and 1 tbsp dried rose petals (edible) in a bowl, cover with ¾ cup water and soak for at least 2 hours, or overnight in the fridge.
Step 2: Bring 3 cups whole milk to the boil with 2 ½ oz sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolves, then cool and chill.
5 minStep 3: Slip the skins off the almonds, then blend everything with its soaking water to a very fine paste, adding a splash of the chilled milk to help it move.
Step 4: Stir the paste into the cold milk and leave for 10 minutes, then strain through a muslin cloth or very fine sieve, squeezing to extract all the liquid.
Step 5: Stir in 1 tsp rose water, pour over 12 ice cubes and serve very cold.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 26 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does sardai take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of fennel seeds?
- Aniseeds, same amount (a stronger liquorice taste).
- What can I use instead of black peppercorns?
- Ground black pepper, a little less than the amount.
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